Ladder.



J, L. WHITE. LADDER.

APPLIOA TION FILED JAN.27, 1911.

991,401. Patenteam awn.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J. L; WHITE.

Patented May 2, 1911,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

JESSE L. WHITE, OF EVANSVILLE, INDIANA.

LADDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 2, 1911.

Application filed January 27, 1911. Serial No. 605,008.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jnssn L. WHITE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Evansville, in the county of Vanderburg and State ofIndiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ladders,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to ladders, and more particularly to collapsibleand extensible ladders.

The object of this invention is to provlde a ladder which when not inuse can be collapsed and wound upon a reel.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved fasteningmeans for connecting the sections of the ladder.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of theconstruction and arrangement of the several parts, whlch will be morefully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section 1. Fig.2 is a side view of one of the sections partly broken away. Fig. 3 is asection on line 33 Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a bottom plan of one of thesections. Fig. 5 is a front view. Fig. 6 1s a detail View and Fig. 7 isa perspective view of one of the sections in which the side and endplates are integral. Fig. 8 is a sectional view of a modificationshowing only top and bottom plates employed.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate correspondingparts in the several figures.

Referring more specifically to the drawin gs, the numeral 1 designatesthe base, upon which is mounted on either side thereof a pair ofuprights 2. Connecting bars 3 for each pair of uprights form supportsfor a feed-wheel 4 rotatably mounted in bearing 5 at one end of the bars3. At the other end of said bars is a cog 6 fixed to a shaft 7 mountedin bearings 8. The cog 6 meshes with a large gear 9 carried by the feedwheel and an operating crank handle 10 secured to one end of the shaft 5affords means for manually rotating the cog 6, which in turncommunicates rotary motion to the feed wheel. In connection with themechanism thus far described, a flexible ladder 11 is employed, which iscomposed of a series of sections 13, each of which comprises preferablywooden bars 14 having metallic side plates 15 and rear plates 16.

'The side plates have their rear edges dished .edge thereof, a springlatch 18 and a coriresponding keeper former of which comprises a hookedportion 520 and a guide lip 21. which are bowed to correspond to thecurva- "ture of the side plates 15 and bars 14, have 19, respectively,the

The rear plates 16 one end thereof bifurcated as at 22 to re- ,ceive thelug 23 of the next adjacent rear plates 16 integrally connectedtherewith, but

otherwise the plates are constructed the same as in the other views.

Located slightly in advance of the feed wheel 4 are short shafts 29supporting a guide 30, the latter of which has segmental toothedprojections 81, meshing with the pinion 32 on the crank handle 33. Itwill thus be seen that the guide 30 can be adjusted to direct the ladderupwardly at any desired angle. The outer or free end section of theladder preferably has a wheel or roller attachment 40 for engaging thewall, of a building, and the inner end may be attached to a drum 34, thefixed shaft 35 of which is rotatably mounted in bearings 36 onsupporting frame 37 and has at one end a crank handle 38.

While I have described each section as having a wooden bar between theside plates thereof, these may be dispensed with, without materiallyaffecting the rigidity or strength of the ladder as a whole. I have alsofound that by cutting away the side bars as shown at, 17, the sectionscan be wound much more tightly upon the drum 34 and at the same time thestructure is lightened without sacrificing strength.

From the foregoing the operation of the device is obvious, but maybriefly be stated as follows: The base 1 may be suitably mounted uponwheels to facilitate handling and when moved to desired position theladder may be unwound from the drum 34 by means of crank handle 38 andforced up through guide 30, the latter of which as before stated beingadjusted angularly at will of the operator by means of crank handle 38.As the sections pass through the guide they are forced into alinementand the lips 21 of spring latch 18- guide the latter over the keeper 19until the hook portion 20 snaps to locked position.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1'. A device of the class described comprising a plurality of sectionshinged together eachsection consisting of a pair of side plates and arear plate therebetween, said side plates having apertured ears on theextremities of the lower edge thereof and spring catches on theextremities of the upper edge, said bottom plate having one end thereofbifurcated and a lug on the opposite end, the lug of one plate fittingin the bifurcated endof the next adjacent plate and a bolt passingthrough the meeting ends of said bottom plates and through saidapertured ears on said side plates.

2. A device of the class described comprising a plurality of sectionshinged together, said sections consisting of a side and a bottom plateintegrally connected together, apertured ears on said side plate, a pairof perforated lugs formed on one end of said 1 bottom plates, aperforated lug on the other JESSE L. \VHITE.

Vitnesses F. G. GORE, ARTHUR F. FUNKHAUSER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

